Safe
by Walkawhale
Summary: She had a vision. So she ran away. Slightly dark / Fairytale style.
1. Chapter 1

I was always fascinated with Raven and Robin. I've always had this idea in my head, and I was so curious what others would this about it.  
Just a small warning: English is not my first language so there might be parts that seem unnatural. I'm still studying!

Disclaimer for every chapter: I do not own the Teen Titans.

01.

'This doesn't seem so bad,' was her first thought into the castle.

Sure it was dark, dusty and deserted, but nothing she was unfamiliar with. Compared to where she grew up, this place felt rather...

The small child didn't know the word, her thoughts didn't help her to think further. She was educated, yes, but she never felt this way before. She didn't know which vocabulary among the many (mostly never used, never experienced) should she choose to describe the feeling that this castle gave her. She looked around. Not even one pair of eyes were following her. No twisted fear or hatred snaking through the walls, no secret swords or enchantments waiting for a sudden outburst. No chains, no monks ready with the excuse 'just in case'. Silent like the tower she lived in, but a different one. Perhaps the word 'comfortable' was what she felt. She let out a long sigh. She was not in danger, and that's all that mattered.

She was born with the darkest evil inside. Or that was the reason why she was isolated apart from people, living in a tower with only monks allowed in. Of all the emotionless people she was allowed to meet during her life, only one monk managed to spill the prophecy to her. It was so easy to catch that important piece of information because she saw it, she read it and felt the young monk's mind. He wasn't highly trained yet, and she was nothing but curious. He was the only one with those things called 'emotions'. Everyone else was blank. Their facial expressions, aura and minds were strongly protected and guarded whenever they came near her. But he wasn't.

She had to clutch her hands, remembering what happened to him in the end. The castle floors started to shake. She heard something flutter, but her eyes were closed.

'Azarath Metrion Zinthos.'

She had to erase all emotions unless she was going to prove that the prophecy was true.

'But it will be.'

The floors stopped quivering, but there were more fluttering, something like - _wings?_ She opened her eyes. Something flew up to the tall window. She felt faint curiosity coming from the small beating heart. The strange being seemed cautious, but it wasn't scared. No form of life ever looked at her with such harmless eyes before. It was a dark animal, with red eyes that almost shined through the darkness.

'A raven,' the young girl recalled. She opened her arms wide, but the raven didn't fly away. Having a rare moment of fascination, she stood there. She didn't know the proper way of greeting other life forms. She didn't want the bird to fly away. Maybe if she were a raven too, then the bird might stay. She spoke.

"I have nowhere else to go. May I stay?"

The bird cocked its head as if to measure her. The girl stood still, arms still out. She started to wonder why she held her arms open in the first place. She felt rather stupid. This would make her look bigger, a possible threat. She tried to think of another way to 'befriend' (a word she never actually tried to put in action for a long time) the bird, but right then it let out a soft caw. It felt somewhat like a 'yes' to her.

For the first time in her life, she managed a tiny smile.


	2. Chapter 2

02.

Richard didn't know where the fuck he was.

Excuse his language, it was very unroyal of him. Then again, he wasn't even 'royal' to start with.

He was supposed to meet the princess. She had come to a small town within their kingdom. The word was that she had fled her country due to a sudden riot, all her loyal knights but one were murdered on the way to get her here. The landlord of the town sent a message to the King, and the King decided to send some men to escort her safely to his castle. Richard was lucky to 'accidentally' overhear the conversation. He took off immediately. He was supposed to reach her before the King's men.

If it weren't for this darn storm.

Even his brave fearless stallion stood still in the snow, too tired to carry on.

"Damn it," he swore out loud. He could imagine the disapproving face of the King if he were to know of Richard's whereabouts. Not even a scowl nor a twitch in his mouth, the King would just look at him with that cold stare, then leave the room. Richard's jaws tensed; he MUST reach the princess. He looked straight ahead, ready to shout another curse word. That was when he saw a flickering light.

Hopes as high as that nearly unrecognizable light, he dragged his horse forward. Maybe it was a bad idea, but he had not much of a choice. When he was about to think that he'd gone crazy in the cold, he saw something that warmed his spirits up: a village.

A small one it was, judging by the size of the wooden walls, but he was happy nonetheless. Even his horse's steps became lighter, willingly following him to a potential rest in the warmth. He fought against the angry wind, hoping that there'd be watchmen behind those doors even in this weather. When he finally reached the door, he knocked. Then he fainted.

...

...

"Hmph. You're up."

Richard managed to open his eyes when he met a rather disapproving scowl. A girl with pink hair was looking down at him. There was a boy at her side who was almost facing his manhood, grinning sheepishly at him. She gave a small shrug.

"Do us a favor and recover faster next time."

Richard couldn't help but frown.

"And who might you be?"

The girl who seemed to be in her late teens tossed her head in a haughty way. The room suddenly was filled with scents of herbs and exotic perfumes.

"They call me Jinx, and I'm the one who found you, dragged you here and kept you warm. And who might _you_ be, a strange boy who's reckless enough to go out and around in _this_ weather? Smart move, _bird brain_."

Although he was offended - not even his fellow counselors called him such names - he managed to bite his snide comments back and let out a sigh.

"I'm just passing by. I need to get somewhere. I thank your generous hospitality, but I must get going."

"Whoa, are you going to the Castle of Mysteries?"

For the first time the boy with red hair spoke. He had a friendly boyish gleam in his eyes.

"The Castle of what?"

"Enough, Wally. He won't even survive the way there. I'm going to go and tell those men that they won't need to be collecting a body tonight."

With that, she left. Despite every unpleasant thing she said regarding his possible death, something about the way she underestimated him made Richard rev up.

"You're lucky. I really tried to stop her, but she was going to throw you out to the graveyard if you didn't wake up until tonight. The name's Wally by the way."

Wally gave him a huge grin. Richard smiled back. It's been a while since he saw someone giving him that kind of smile.

"How long was I unconscious for?"

"Just a night, something like 8 hours."

Wally offered him a cookie. Richard haven't noticed the big plate with various cookies and bread on it until now. He politely refused.

"Let's hear more about that castle were you talking about."

His host gulped two cookies down.

"Mysteries. I mean, that's not its real name, but that's just what we call it. You know, that dark haunted place nearby? It used to be some rich powerful duke's possessions, but it got famous a couple of years ago. People heard the rumors and came all the way here to see if it was true, but for some reason none seemed to be able to reach the place. Or maybe some did but never were able to get back home…"

He munched on his third cookie.

"Of course we don't know much, but all those adventurous explorers promised they'd bring back at least a bone of the dragon. Never actually did come back, so we're just guessing. Whoever is accommodating that castle at the moment must be really secretive."

Richard couldn't actually believe what he heard.

"A _dragon_ bone?"

"Yeah, that's crazy, right? If we hadn't seen it for ourselves, none of the villagers would've believed it either. I still remember that night, it was huge and angry. We could see its wings flapping from afar. It was fighting something or someone. I was watching it in awe when Jinx came to me. She gave me one look and said: _'I told you so.'_ Had to believe whatever she says after that."

"So, what happened next?"

At that question, Wally shrugged and bit into a fourth cookie.

"It shrieked and fell. Disappeared, sort of. That's what got people curious, most are saying the dead body of the dragon was bound to be there. Maybe it's not dead, but we never heard or seen anything since."

Faint curiosity of the ancient beast was flaring up, but Richard knew he had to go see the princess. He was assuring himself to come back one day to find out whether all of this were true, but Wally just had to say something very interesting.

"Jinx did say something about a curse though. She's the only one around here who could get near the castle grounds, she actually brings the best herbs from there. Anyways, she did say that it was cursed, and that time itself in that place just stopped."


	3. Chapter 3

03.

He had to go meet the princess. It was important, he needed to show his own place in this royal politics. He couldn't just be some ward of the king. They thought he was worthless and he was low of birth. He could read it from most of the subjects' faces and he had to prove himself worthy of his place. He had to work hard to show that he could be the heir, not just the ward.

But why the fuck was he walking into this particularly dark woods, he had no idea.

Jinx seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"I knew you can come up with reckless ideas, but this one is just plain stupid."

She was showing him the way, her doing so made Richard quite surprised. Despite calling him stupid, she actually took him to the woods. When Richard told him he'll go and investigate the so-called castle, Wally chuckled.

" _Pretty determined, huh? You remind me of my friend…"_

"Just try to move south from here. You'd probably get lost and end up wandering here forever."

"Have you ever gone further to the castle than this?"

Jinx frowned at his question. She looked at him in a strange way, but he was able to catch the glimpse of fear.

"No. Whoever that's guarding these grounds is powerful enough to beat a dragon. I'd rather live a long life since now I've got myself a man who's almost as reckless as you."

She left, and he was alone, only his stallion to keep him company. He gave out a short sigh and started moving. 'Just a quick investigation,' he told himself.

...

It's been hours and Richard was questioning himself. Where was he? Which way is South? Why does every freaking tree look exactly the same? He knew he was heading _somewhere_ at least because he was leaving marks on the tree trunks while moving further in. However, the woods seemed endless and nothing else seemed to be breathing in the woods otherwise than his horse and him. Was it a stupid idea? He knew this was a stupid idea. He should turn back. If he left now, he might still make it to the princess before the King's men do.

But he found himself pursuing his way into the woods untouched by humans.

That's when he saw something - A raven. A huge raven perched on a branch, it was looking down on him. It didn't even seem surprised nor startled at his presence..

'That's strange,' he thought. 'It looks like as if it were waiting for me.'

The raven seemed to be familiar with humans, looking at him as if to measure him. Richard had a sudden crazy idea popping in his head; Maybe the raven was here to show him the way? No, it couldn't be. He shook his head and set off again. After a while, he heard wings flapping. He looked around just to see the raven perched on another tree, further against him. He frowned. The raven cocked its head to the side. His counselors would have laughed at him if he said so, but the look on the raven seemed to say 'That's not the way, idiot.' He decided to test this out, and he walked back all the way to the tree the raven sat on. When he stopped, the raven flew to the next tree.

"Now I'm being guided by a bird. I'm trusting a bird to show me the way... A bird.."

He must be mad or something. But he ran out of things to say when the woods finally came to an end, revealing an ancient castle that looked like it belonged to another world. A strange sense overwhelmed him, a strange feeling told him that something happened in that dark castle, something he must find out… And he somehow knew that once he stepped into the castle, he was to find something extraordinary. Something beyond his imagination, something beyond what he can handle. This was his last chance to turn and go back.

But of course, he set himself into the deserted castle of shadows.

...

...

The girl, named Raven, was taken aback at the unfamiliar presence at the castle doors.

It was a human, a boy at his teenage years, who appeared behind the creaking doors. For years, not a single human being had even come up close that she didn't even feel the need to lock it. She had to scoff in vain to see how easily the doors opened for him.

Years of growing up alone in the castle, Raven was still keen to hear of the world.

She saw the world through her birds as they flew back from other cities, they told her stories of what they saw, and she managed to find a deserted library in the castle, so she always absorbed any kinds of information in. Until she found a book full of magic.

Not just mere magic - it locked a person within. Falling in love with the intelligent and witty soul, she set him free. Only to learn that he has been using her, playing her emotions to be unleashed to the real world again.

Raven had tried everything in her powers to forget that incident. After successfully winning the battle, she found herself emotionally vulnerable. Her chaotic side of her snaked out, cooing softly in her head, showing her everything she can do. After a couple of dreams of herself setting the world on hellfire, she broke down. She screamed in pain, broken-hearted, as she swore to erase all of her emotions, she cast a spell on herself. It was a spell taught by the monks of Azarath. She didn't understand what it truly did, but she knew it was the spell they were planning to use once she was out of control. She secretly hoped that she would fall into an eternal sleep, but such blissful moments were never given to her. Instead, she woke up to see the whole castle covered in snow, and her emotions feeling distant. Everything she felt was dimmed to only a certain degree, almost to the point where she felt indifferent. That itself seemed okay to her.

How she stopped time, she didn't know. The sun never rose after that day, keeping the whole woods dark under the night. Her appearance never seemed to age, but she was alive. Almost dead on the inside, but clearly breathing and surviving.

Until now.

"Show yourself."

A few years passed in the outside world, and a boy with a mask on was searching the castle walls, cautious and on guard, but she couldn't feel any fear within his voice. On the contrary, a strong sense of curiosity conveyed from his spirit as he looked into the empty halls of the castle. But no one should know about her. A faint voice in her head nudged her to go greet this human being, the first she was to see eye to eye on this planet. She stood in the shadows trying to devise a plan, but that moment he looked straight into her eyes. She gasped.

"I know you're there."

Fear rattled in her heart. It shook other emotions alongside it - she did not know why she was feeling so shaky. She never felt an emotion this clear in years. She slowly walked out of the shadows. She saw his face change. He seemed surprised at her appearance, but she also caught the little gleam in his eyes as she stood in front of him, keeping a safe distance.

"Who are you?"

She kept quiet for a moment. Her heart seemed to beat slightly faster than usual. She needed to keep it calm.

"And you are?"

It came out rather colder than she expected, but he didn't wince at all. He actually smiled at her.

"I'm Robin. Who are you?"


	4. Chapter 4

04.

"Let me go."

"I'm afraid I can't."

Raven was worried that she might be exposed. She had no idea what to do with this person, so she kept him within the castle until she came up with a better solution. Robin knew he was trapped, and he was clearly displeased. He came to her and demanded her to let him go. He would ask question by question, and for someone who never talked to a lot of people, it made her nervous. Without really thinking, she threw him into a portal that led him to his room. She froze at what she did, only to find him running back to her to ask her how she did it. He seemed to be born curious, and she could feel an eager determination from him that he will figure her out. Over the few days, he would join her for meals and talk to her, follow her to the library and studied her in silence. She never received this much attention before, and whenever it started to overwhelm her she teleported back into her room again.

Robin was surprisingly talkative. He was strong willed and he carried himself with grace. She found it difficult to believe when he said that he was quiet and serious when he was at home.

"It's better to be careful with words. The moment someone says something wrong, people attack you as if they've been waiting for it. Once I had someone telling me I was unworthy to the throne.."

"The throne?"

Robin shrugged.

"I'm sort of a prince in some country."

Then he curled his lips, creating a mischievous smile that made her heart drop and flutter at the same time.

"Well, you've kidnapped yourself a prince, Raven."

She struggled to keep the thundering roars of new emotions down.

"What are the odds? I must be so lucky. What a shame that I thought he was a thief."

The emotionless tone actually made Robin laugh. She had to keep her breath. She doubted that she would ever get used to his laugh. It was like sunlight to her - something she never would see here.

...

Richard brought his coffee to the morning table as usual. He was getting used to this place. He wasn't sure how long he had stayed here for truly the time here didn't pass. It felt like weeks has passed and at the same time, it felt like mere days.

He still wondered about the princess but his curiosity won him over. The girl who lived alone in this castle managed to intrigue him again and again. She was full of mysteries, and yet he caught himself actually enjoying her presence. He never felt this laid-back before, and for some reason, he felt safe enough to be off guard. He felt like he was finally being himself; it surprised himself to see how playful he actually was.

He glimpsed towards the sorceress looking out the window. She looked slightly younger than him, but her face sometimes would seem like she saw enough of the world. She was actually intelligent, knowledgable of the world, and surprisingly fluent in many languages. Sometimes they would talk in other languages together, and discuss anything that came into mind. She was easy to talk to, and he was always amazed at how much she knew and seemed to understand. He looked back at his coffee. He breathed in the warm smell of it, mixed with the scent of Raven's herb tea.

It wasn't such a difficult work to find out what happened with the dragon. Only by a few questions and her reaction he learned on his own that the witch of ravens loved the dragon. Her exterior was cold, but he never saw such hurt in her eyes before. She managed to tell him that she found the dragon trapped in a book, and that was enough for him to guess that the dragon probably tried to entice her to release him. No wonder, he thought. She never let him close. Not literally, but when he first met her, he had a feeling that she was emotionally shut down.

"Raven."

But now there she was, looking back at him as he called her name. He liked to see the faint unconscious smile on her face whenever he called her name.

"What is it?"

But today she seemed odd. He immediately stood up and walked towards her. She looked at the window again, as if to try to figure out the words. He followed her gaze, his eyes widening when he saw it.

"The snow.. it melted.."

Raven felt it. Time.

The curse was lifting.


	5. Chapter 5

05.

Raven was in a strange mental pain. Her birds brought words from the outside world, and it wasn't good. She knew what must happen but she wasn't ready for it.

'Get over yourself. You have too much evil inside, you'll kill him in the end.'

She gave out a long sigh and headed to the dining room where the prince would be waiting to dine with her, completely clueless of what was happening in his world.

"Hey, Raven."

There he was, as charming as ever. He looked up and smiled as if he was waiting for her. As if he liked being with her. She was so close, maybe, just maybe she could keep him here. Maybe he wanted to be here. Stay here, away from politics and war. Safe here with her powers to protect him. She knew she would do anything to keep him safe.

"Robin, I need to tell you something."

And she knew that she would regret this for the rest of her life. She would regret either way. So she told him.

Of course, he didn't like it.

"Tamaran declared war? Against my father's kingdom?"

"No. But they threatened that war will be inevitable unless you hand over the princess."

He left the room. Raven looked down at the warm food on the silver plates. She grabbed the fork so elegantly and started to eat alone.

...

...

...

"I'm leaving."

"So I can see."

"You can't stop me, Raven. I need to go."

The determination in his eyes told her that he was ready to fight her, despite all her powers. That gave Raven a strange stinging sensation. She closed her eyes. She knew she couldn't stop him.

The moment he called her by her name, she was expecting, rather in fear, for this day to come.

"Go. Your horse should know the way."

Richard's confusion lingered only for a second. Clearly, he thought that she would try to stop him. Immediately he mounted on his horse. Raven stood there, listening to his promises to settle things down as quickly as possible, to never reveal this place nor her existence to any other living soul. She replied to none of his words. She was taking him in, to have one last good view of the beautiful sky-like eyes. Oblivious to what she was doing, Richard put the mask on.

"How do I look?"

"…Like a thief."

He laughed aloud at that, but for some reason that tore her apart. She kept her face hidden. The daylight was too strong, and it suited him.

"Believe me, Raven. I'll come and see you again."

Raven only nodded her head. She didn't trust herself to answer directly to that, in fear of jinxing his promise with her unholy powers. So she gently put her hand on his knee. He didn't seem to mind.

"If you need me… You know how to find me."

Richard gave her one last assuring smile, then headed to the woods that let him in. She stood there, unable to move. She watched him ride like the howling wind, flying away and never to return again.


	6. Chapter 6

06.

"Seriously Wally, how many times have I told you that I'm going to jinx you if you touch my food?"

"Sorry, I really thought it was mine… I mean it's been a while since we hit the city to have these fancy food."

Jinx and Wally were casually walking, just as Wally mentioned, it's been a while since they visited the big city. It was colorfully decorated, with flowers and flags. Mostly were orange and green for the foreign princess. Even the restaurant they stepped into had a merry spirit. That was something that wasn't quite common to see after the tension of the possible war against Tamaran started to take place. Wally's friend, Roy, was there to greet them.

"Funny how even in war love happens, huh? It's been a while, Wally. Nice to see you, Jinx."

"Roy!"

"You look quite alive, _Speedy_."

At Jinx's comment, Roy gave out a chuckle. He actually liked Jinx's 'snappy' nicknames, that would be one of the reasons why he could still be friends with her.

"Aww, still calling me by that one? Wasn't that the one you made up after the speed dating thing? I told you, I never actually need to go to one."

"Still suits you perfectly. You move on from one lady to another as fast as that."

Wally wasn't paying much attention. He knew the two looked as if they would try to bite each other, but they actually went along quite okay.

"Well. Food, anyone?"

...

...

After a nice dish of dinner, Wally didn't forget to order a special dessert for Jinx to try to make up for his mistake at lunch.

"How'd you manage to get all the way here in autumn? I thought you had vacation only during the summer and winter."

"Ah, well. The prince in love. With all these fairs and festivals going on to celebrate their engagement, their highnesses managed to give us a break."

Wally gave out a grin as Jinx happily put her spoon on her dessert.

"I always heard that our prince is more of a serious, dark and gloomy guy. How's the prince these days and how's the princess coping with him?"

Roy, who works in the court, gave a knowing smile.

"Well, he's as ambitious as usual. He's smiling a lot more though since the princess is around. She's bubbly and lively, to say the least. Radiant too. Something we'd never imagine to see in His Majesty's castle.."

Wally knew that Roy never told him everything. He understood, since Roy was working quite close to the Royal Family, he had to watch his mouth. The Royal Engagement was a huge issue, for the princess was the reason the kingdom was getting ready for war. She was the rightful heir to the throne, but the leader of the coup managed to drive her away from her country. People were excited about the idea of true love, and the righteous justice the kingdom was going to help see.

But Wally wasn't as naive.

He knew that Roy was never allowed to go on a short vacation unless he was scheduled to. On this exceptional occasion, Wally had this feeling that Roy was only here to see his friends and family because he was to be sent away to war. Jinx was even smarter, and she knew that these celebrations were strategies to keep the people calm. Whenever Wally asked, she would shrug and say that it's a recklessly smart move. She would never explain further than that.

"Well, congratulation to the prince and princess. May this engagement do good to our kingdom."

With that toast, Roy gave his usual smirk and held his glass up. He was good at hiding whatever he might be thinking at that moment.

Wally gave an internal sigh, hoping that his friend would be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

07.

Richard was in a majestic room, surrounded by people with loud voices. They were arguing, but he was thinking. It has been a few years since Tamaran's leader has declared war against his kingdom. His father left him in charge of the battle in the east, and they were not doing as Richard hoped. They were in the middle of the war zone. They had to withdraw two cities back; the last few battles were something that they could never be proud of. Tamaran's warriors were fierce and undeniably tough, just like their princess. Starfire herself was a great warrior, but she could do only so much against thousands of her own people. The current situation wasn't good, but the prince hated to send a word to the King for backup.

Richard closed his eyes tight. Only by winning this war can his wife-to-be, Starfire, sit on her rightful throne again. Then he would be able to have more power and authority as well. But his people were growing anxious and uneasy, causing minor conflicts within the kingdom. The elders were starting to look at him the way Richard could never stand. He finally spoke, making up his mind.

"There is a way."

The room was instantly quiet. Victor Stone, his loyal companion, was the first to respond.

" _Finally_. Let's go beat their asses."

Only a few seemed offended by his language. One of the elders spoke.

"Pray tell, Prince Richard."

Richard had to take in a deep breath. After all, he was breaking a long-kept promise.

"Years ago during my absence in the court, I have befriended... a witch."

His subjects exchanged looks. He never spoke of the happening that occurred years ago.

If his words were spoken before this war, they would have not taken the word 'witch' seriously. But these people saw the superior strength of Tamaran's warriors as well as the exotic princess's, along with their ability to crush stone with bare hands.

"And this.. _witch_ , sire. What is it that she can do to help us?"

"She had extraordinary powers of her own."

The elders were far from being convinced.

"What can one witch ever do in such a huge enraging war? Mix herbs and potions?"

Richard was instantly reminded of the scent of her herb tea. It was so clear, he could almost smell it. He sighed heavily.

"She.. defeated a dragon with magic."

A rushed shock of excitement instantly filled the room. Dragons were rarely spotted, but they were known for their dark magic. Whether to believe a dragon still existed was as difficult as to believe there was a witch who can defeat one by magical powers.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

At the eager tone of Victor's, the elder frowned.

"And how can we trust this witch of yours, your highness? Isn't it said that witches draw power from the dark demons?"

"I highly doubt that your highness would have a way to make such a treacherous being obey your command?"

Richard, feeling slightly annoyed and irritated, stood up and looked down on them.

"That shall never be one of your concerns."

By that, they knew they were all dismissed.

...

...

Richard went into his room, tired and weary from all the discussion. He sat on the chair, looking at something on the desk. It was Raven's mirror she gave him, and it looked just as odd and mysterious as the owner. He really hadn't given a look at it until now, and he felt a pang of guilt when he found it waiting in his old traveling bag. He gave out a long sigh. For some reason, he had a feeling he was going to regret this someday.

"…Azarath Metrion.. Zinthos."

The three words she always chanted felt strange with his voice. There was a small gust within the room, and he waited. He expected to see her face in the mirror she gave him or something like that. At least _something_. Crickets cried and the candle lights flickered, but nothing out of ordinary happened. He panicked, sudden questions exploding in his head. Did he say the spell wrong? What if she never showed up? Was she angry at him? What is he to do now? How can he save his people?

Despite the sudden panic, he felt awful exhaustion engulfing him. He hadn't slept properly for days, and the short amount of sleep he managed to have would always be disturbed by nightmares full of smoke and fire. He gave out a long sigh, longing for a decent sleep. Maybe he should try the spell again, but his body felt too heavy to be moved by his will.

"…You look awful."

Richard's head snapped up. He stood up in shock. There she was, in the room, a shadow lurking and resting in the darkness of the corner. He couldn't exactly see her. He could make out the outlines of her figure and the deep purple eyes like the jewels he used to look at when he was a child. Clear and mysterious, beautiful but cold. She seemed to be taller than he remembered, but since he was in his manhood, her eyes seemed to be looking up to him.

"I didn't think you'd show up. I, uh.. I thought if you did, you'd show up in the mirror or something."

 _Why was he feeling nervous?_

He tried not to clear his throat. He didn't want to give away the fact that he was nervous at the sight of her. The stunning eyes stared into his. Silent was the room, and Richard suddenly remembered how comfortable he used to feel with the silence between them. This one was choking him, her emotionless stare stabbing his heart.

"Raven, I need help."

Maybe it was the desperate tone of his voice. Maybe she already knew what was going on. Whatever it was, it softened her eyes and made her step out into the dim light. The moon rays shined upon her, making her flawless grayish skin glow like silver.

She was no longer the young teenager he used to remember. She was tall, graceful and silent like the moon. She was beautiful.

And for some reason, that struck him as a shock. The curse was broken- _of course, how could he have forgotten?_ Whenever he tried to imagine her, it was always the girl he used to remember. But that shock was rather underwhelming compared to what came next.

"Speak, your highness. I am nothing but your servant."


	8. Chapter 8

08.

It has been years since she heard her name. Richard never returned, and she was not surprised.

But that didn't stop her from feeling empty. The whole castle was so quiet, despite the soft caws of her birds. She kept the same routine - No one looking up from the coffee table in the morning took her months to get used to. She couldn't believe it, but sometimes she would make coffee and put it on the table just to have the room filled with its scent. She never enjoyed coffee, but looking at the coffee table with the steam still there made her oddly satisfied. It felt like someone would be here any moment to join her at the table.

She had a vision. So she ran away.

Even in these castle walls that kept the world safe from her, her dreams constantly reminded her of what she was meant to do. Ever since the prince left, her nightmares visited her so frequently, the smoke and fire choked her even when she was awake. She was to burn cities and lives down and now she closed her eyes as if to shut everything away.

Having no one to talk to, she turned inwardly, always having a never-ending conflict within.

 _I can finish the war._

 _-No, you'll kill them all._

 _I can help him._

 _-You'll kill him too._

By the time she questioned her own sanity, she heard his call. He never even uttered her name ever since.

When she heard his voice again, she made a decision. While hearing her own mantra in his voice, she knew. She knew that the prophecy will come true. She shall see it happen.

All because he called her by her name again.

 _I will finish this._

She could see that he was exhausted, almost to the point of collapsing. Other voices hissed in her head. Some were sighing, some were sad and frightened.

 _You'll kill him in the end._

 _No. Because I shall die before I can cast a spell on him._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

Through Raven they won the first couple of war. The people were happy, the authority was not. Richard can sense that they were uneasy, they feared her. Some were pointing out that he seemed too close to the witch. The last council did not go well, for the elders were sarcastically asking if he were planning to have his people greet a gloomy cursed witch as their queen.

" _She would certainly look good with the castle walls, your highness. I doubt that anyone would even notice her, she would fit in perfectly."_

Richard hissed as he remembered what they said. How dare they? They wouldn't have been able to restore this city if it weren't for her. And they knew that too well, for they said no such thing in her presence.

"They do have a point."

Richard snapped up. His fellow advisors and companions were looking at him. Roy was the one who spoke.

"The people love princess Starfire. She is what they longed for in a queen, someone warm and caring. Someone hopeful."

Richard fought back the arguments in his head that was saying that Raven was exactly that. He knew what Roy was trying to say. From others' perspective, Raven came off as indifferent, cold and too powerful. And that scared the insecure people.

"I would have to add, sir, that wedding the foreign princess gives you the status and the right you need in order to rule the kingdom. I thought that was what you wanted. If, in any case, people think you might share too close of a bond with a witch, the people might lose trust in you. You know how easy it is to lose trust, even over something so small."

"I'm not happy to say that people will talk. It's said that witches draw powers from the unholy beings, and as subjects, people wouldn't want a ruler who is associated with demons to be their King."

Aqualad added his opinion with a sigh. Victor shook his head in slight anger.

"We all know that we wouldn't have even made it back here without her. You guys should know that she's a hero, and she deserves to be one. I mean, did you even see her? One spell and BAAM the guys were knocked out. I say she's harmless. She likes my waffles too."

Some coughed at what he said. Richard had the image of Raven quietly nibbling the waffles. If he had known, he would've made her some when he was at her castle.

Roy shrugged at what Victor said.

"To be honest, I don't care. I don't mind having a witch in the court. As long as she gets us to win this damn war in one whole piece, and if I'm still being able to breathe, I have nothing to complain about. The elders need to learn how to shut it and relax. Aren't they too old to be in court now?"

The others laughed, but Aqualad gave a small warning look. Whatever is said about the authorities but be carefully chosen - you never know how they will turn against you to end your life in the court. The walls are always too thin..

"Do you love her, your highness?"

Instant silence swept through the room. Richard gave Aqualad a questioning look, but he knew who he was talking about.

"The only reason the elders are talking about her is that you seem to care for her beyond what would be considered necessary. And to be unpleasantly bold, I must say that the two of you seem to share an intimate bond. There is something about you when you two stand near, although words unspoken, you seem to be… connected."

He didn't mention the look on Richard's face whenever he faced her, how his eyes soften and lips curl in a way that never seemed to be forced. It was nothing like how he looks when he is near his fiancé, and the moment he saw the prince talking to princess Starfire he knew that his prince was in love with someone else. As his friend, he wished to congratulate his finding of real love, but as his servant, it wasn't so easy. The prince was already betrothed. The country was under war for the sake of his new wife-to-be. The people already loved the foreign princess's smile and spirit. They loved her existence itself.

"You are our next king. Choose what you think would be best, and do what must be done. We shall follow whatever choice you make, your highness."


	9. Chapter 9

09.

"Richard, may I have some seconds of your time?"

Late in the evening, Richard was having a headache. He dismissed the meeting and kept himself in the meeting room, refusing dinner. He was frustrated and enraged by how people thought of Raven, and he was devastated because he knew that they were right. He can't go back now. They have come too far in this.

The radiant princess knocked on the door. Richard let her in with a weak smile on his face.

"You seemed very troubled, my prince."

She put her hand on his arm. He felt her warmth, only realizing now that it was cold in this room.

"It is nothing that would worry you, Star."

She beamed at him. She liked it when he called her 'Star'. She leaned her head on his chest. It calmed him down.

"Does your troubled mind has to do with this mysterious witch?"

She felt him tensed up. She knew the answer, although he didn't reply.

"Being powerful is a warrior's trait. There is nothing wrong in my country when one is powerful. I understand that in your world, one having too much power can be of problems."

She hugged him. She was very warm, and Richard couldn't stop himself wondering if Raven's touch would be as warm as her.

"I know you are the man of wisdom, and you do everything within your power to keep your kingdom safe. As well as mine. You need the help of this certain witch although she is said to be cruel and dark. Whatever you do, I believe in your choice, and therefore stand by it next to you."

Richard heart fell. What was he doing? Starfire is the perfect Queen for his kingdom and him. She is fun, radiant and lively. She is supporting, strong and influential as well. Everything he needs, everything a queen of his future needs. He closed his eyes, wishing he would rather never wake up.

...

After Starfire left the room, Richard called for Raven. She appeared swiftly at his call.

"Tomorrow is our last strike. We wouldn't have been able to make it here without you."

"I am grateful to be of service, your highness."

Her face didn't show any change of expression. Richard felt like something was choking him but he ignored the feeling.

"If we win this war, you would be the hero of our Kingdom."

"It is the matter of when, not if. I promised you to bring triumph, and that is what I will bring to you, Crown prince Richard."

He knew as well that she would bring the country victory.

"I would like to bestow a form of gratitude to you. Is there something you would want?"

Raven looked blankly at him. She was definitely better at hiding her emotions now. Richard couldn't read anything.

"Nothing that I can ask of, your highness."

He looked back at Raven who, like any other subject, was looking down as if not to dare to look at him in the eyes. He gaze contained a strange hunger in it.

"Stay with me."

She didn't respond. She merely looked up as if to check if she'd heard it correctly. Having her splendid eyes look at him finally, he smiled at her weakly.

"Stay with me Raven. Please."

"…And your subjects will be perfectly fine about that?"

She knows. His heart sank. Of course, Raven was beyond smart. She must've known that they were extremely uneasy with her presence a long while ago. Richard had no idea that Raven actually felt their disgust and fear towards her. She knew most of the people here were hostile towards her, she felt their emotions and thoughts underneath their smiles. She knew that many humans would fear what they do not understand, and she was never something most people could understand nor accept.

"I will handle that. I won't let anyone dare say anything against you."

'No, but I would still feel it,' thought Raven, but she didn't care. For the first time, she had a reason to stay with him. That was enough. But then…

"And the princess?"

He blinked.

"What about her?"

"Is she to become your queen?"

"...Yes."

He had to force his words out. Raven's face became blank again.

"Raven?"

She stood up, straightening her back. She had a smile on her face, but it was oddly emotionless.

"Then she shall also be my queen to serve, your highness."

Richard had no idea why he felt like he was falling down a cliff.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

The final war was chaotic. There were no other words to describe it. Roy watched in awe as the infamous witch battled against the Tamaranian army. It was difficult to explain what happened.

At first, it seemed that they were on the losing end. Their future queen went to fight against her own sister, the leader of the coup. The others were fighting against their army, and during the struggle, he heard people cry out in a terrified voice.

" _Prince Richard!"_

" _Your Highness!"_

Roy's eyes snapped around to see what happened. To his horror, Richard fell from his horse, and he was bleeding hard. Victor rushed to his side to retreat him from the angry battle. That was when it happened.

Dark clouds gathered in seconds, sending dark-magic looking thunderbolts to the ground. The Earth was caught on fire, and bewildered soldiers burned away the moment it touched them. It looked like the end of the world. He shouted orders to retreat and people stumbled, trying to escape the release of hell. That's when some people pointed toward the sky. Roy had to look up to see what it was.

A huge shadow of a bird soared in the sky. It stroke with its talons, crushing the Tamaranian army. It let out a furious cry, swallowing everything it could, sending soldiers into the pit of darkness. Fire started to rain from the skies, and that was it. It was just it.

In mere minutes, the war.. was over.

The whole Tamaranian army was lying motionless on the ground - whether they were dead or alive it was difficult to tell. In the middle of the burning Earth, the giant bird landed, and the fire stopped as a pale looking woman stepped out of the shadow.

It was her.

"Witch!"

Someone from the King's men shouted at her. Her eyes were fixed in their direction, and Roy swore he saw four red eyes with fire enraging within.

"Unholy demon! Devil's spawn!"

Raven was seeing it again. A world of fire and smoke - but this time there were people shouting at her, pointing fingers at her.

 _Insignificant beings. Maybe I should kill them after all._

Emotions broke out and her anger got the best of her. Her skin was matching red with the fire and she felt so powerful, nothing like she ever was before. She knew nothing could harm her. She reached her arm out. Among all the people, there was someone familiar. She snapped her fingers - he was brought to her. He was looking at her in a way she knew so well.

" **Awww, what's the matter? Afraid of the dark?** _ **"**_

At her demonic voice, the man shivered. She put a finger on his cheek. She could feel him shake. Oh, she remembered him. He was the one who dared to insult her. She set him on fire. He shrieked and fell. She looked down on him indifferently. He dared to call him an unworthy prince, he dared to insult the only one who accepted her..

 _Who? Who was he again?_

Memories of a tall man with dark hair falling from his horse flooded in. There he was, exhausted, but he always managed a smile at her. The scent of his coffee was there - she missed it so much that even in the fortress she would secretly bring tea to join him during his morning coffee. He was always first to get up and that was the only time of the say they could be in each other's company without anyone interfering-

" _Raven."_

A voice rang in her head. It was him. The prince, Richard, Robin. Her Robin whom she missed for years. Her anger died away instantly the moment she started to worry about him. Was he okay? Where was he? She should go and heal him -

"Kill her!"

Even with her red skin tone gone, her eyes back to normal, people started to throw rocks at her. None dared to come close to actually hurt her, but this hurt more than she ever expected. If anyone actually came to pierce her heart, she would've gladly let them.

 _I did it. I fulfilled my prophecy. I'm no more than a demon spawn._

 _-But they live. You didn't actually kill anyone.. but one._

 _I killed a man?_

 _-You didn't kill everyone. The Earth lives. They live._

 _I KILLED A MAN!_

In horror and extreme confusion, Raven disappeared.

...

...

...

When Richard managed to open his eyes, Starfire was crying. The moment she saw him though, she started beaming at him. She hugged him and kissed him, whispering 'We won! We did it! We made it, my love.'

He asked what happened, but no one answered. They only repeated the same answer 'Recover first. Then we'll tell you.'

When he gathered enough strength, people were celebrating. But it was odd. He managed to pick up some words about 'witch' and 'banned' and 'gone.' Something was wrong. His heart told him that something was very wrong.

He got out of the bed and stood up. His subjects weren't there, they were busy picking up after the battle. Even Starfire left to rest, worn out from her battle against her sister.

There was something on the table. He slowly approached it, recognizing what it was. It was the magic mirror, the one Raven gave him when he left her castle. It was broken beyond repair. On the shattered glass, was a feather of a bird, smaller than a raven's.

" _Robin."_

He was suddenly reminded of how she would call him sometimes when they were there in the castle. Nothing there to harm them, no politics, no struggles, and no war. No one looking down on him, somewhere he could actually be his own self. A girl who always starts the morning with tea, frowning whenever he offered her coffee. The scent of her herb tea and his black coffee blended together. Watching the snow melt.

And it came to him that he knew he would never see her again.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

Richard always hated himself for being too uptight towards obligations. He couldn't just leave and give up on his people. He was the Crown prince, wed to a princess who was loved from the people who desperately needed hope. And that she was. She was the ray of sun to the kingdom, just like her name, she shined. Her warmth soothed people. But it never again was able to soothe the darker part of his heart, where he kept the memories of the woman he never realized that he loved.

"You are looking at the woods again. It is a glorious sight."

Richard turned his head, meeting Starfire's eyes. She held a child in her arms. He smiled.

"They say there is a castle full of mysteries out there."

 _She would probably be there, locked away safe from his world._

"Is that so? Then perhaps you would like to go on the seeking to this castle of mysteries?"

" _If you need me… You know how to find me."_

He looked back at the woods again, his mind far beyond his land. No one in the castle ever talked about the emptiness that is reflected in his eyes whenever he gazed out the window like this. The witch was gone and forgotten. He reached out, gave one more look, then closed the windows.

"No. I'd probably get lost and end up wandering there forever."


End file.
